


Rogue Arrangement

by Amber_Flicker



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Episode: s01e16 Rogue Time, Gen, Kidnapping, Len is in denial, Lisa just wants Cisco's number, Pre-Slash, and shouldn't think the person he's trying to make a deal with is cute, because he is a SERIOUS CRIMINAL, what?? no whump? what is this?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-21
Updated: 2016-08-21
Packaged: 2018-07-25 23:02:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7550635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amber_Flicker/pseuds/Amber_Flicker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which: Instead of kidnapping Cisco and Dante, they kidnap Cisco and <i>Barry.</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Rogue Arrangement

**Author's Note:**

> (Note in case anyone can't remember: Barry doesn't start to learn phasing until the episode after Rogue Time, thus he can't do it here to escape.)
> 
> Title. Here's how it got to this one: Searched 'Time' on google. Looked through definitions. Got to the verbs section. One definition was 'plan, schedule, arrange.' One of the synonyms was 'Arrange' and... yeah. It's a play on the title of the episode, even if it isn't obvious at first.

"Now tell me, who is The Flash?" Len watched the changes in the kid's expression carefully. Usually he could make perfect sense of other peoples' expressions, read them, but what he was seeing now was far from what he predicted. The horror and fear was there, yes, but it was the other emotions that flickered across his face- dread, the calculation behind it all, and finally, defeat. The last echoed across his body too- shoulders slump, fight leaving his eyes replaced by trepidation. He glanced to his friend, his blackened hands(that wouldn't be engineering ever again if he didn't hurry up), and looked away sharply, anger flaring briefly; not at Len, but... himself. Hmmm.

Then, "Don't let him be permanently damaged because of me." Len took a moment to process that- _10 seconds,_ his mind supplied- then he was up with a jolt, checking Barry's restraints and realizing that if he could, he'd be out of them by now. His identity was already comprimised. The tension eased slightly. 

Well, that explained a lot.

He pulled Barry up( _The Flash_ ) by the shoulder roughly, ignoring the gasp the action brought, and began to make decisions. He needed an empty room. And some more rope. This house wasn't their most... empty, and he couldn't have Barry finding something to use to escape. He settled on a closet. Sure, not ideal, but it was large for a closet, it'd have to do. Then he made sure the speedster's legs were securely tied. Couldn't have him running off. He stepped back to observe his handiwork. Wide eyes stared back at him. The kid clearly wasn't good at hiding his emotions. 

"What are you going to do to me?"

Len just smirked, closing him in.

***

He'd called Lisa and Mick, telling them to return to the house, then discreetly dropped off Cisco at the emergency room. Then he set up what he needed to assure that Barry would comply with him (even if he somehow escaped.) He had blackmail material now, after all. Len hadn't meant to pick up The Flash. He hadn't even suspected, he'd just been researching Cisco Ramon, trying to find ways to make him do what they wanted, when he found out about Barry Allen. Who apparently hung around S.T.A.R Labs a lot and was the engineer's best friend. He was a lot easier to capture than Cisco's brother would be, so that's who he took. He was glad that's what he decided to do, with how well it'd turned out. He wasn't exactly sure _what_ he was going to do. He wasn't really interested in killing The Flash anymore, for many reasons. The hero kept a lot of dangerous metas from interfering with his heists, and if he did kill him, now that The Flash was well-known, it would bring far too much heat. He didn't really care for pointless murder, either. And now that he could basically control him, killing him _would_ be pointless.

He'd only done the bare minimum of research on the kid, but now Len began to look deeper, mind whirling and planning all the while.

***

This wasn't how he expected his day to go. First, he and Cisco were kidnapped by Captain Cold and his friends. Then he'd been forced to reveal his identity. There had been no choice. There was no way for him to lie about it, and Cisco's hands... his life, basically, because he needed them for his work, were on the line. Barry had just had to resign himself to the fact that he would likely be dead by the end of the night. He was honestly surprised he hadn't been shot right then and there, but he supposed maybe it was something Cold wanted to drag out. The way he'd smirked, but hadn't said a word when Barry asked what would become of him, certainly implied that. He shivered. God, his family was going to be so hurt when they found his body. If they found his body. He wasn't read to die yet, he still hadn't found the man in yellow, still hadn't gotten his dad out of prison...

Usually, when encountering Cold, he wasn't all that worried. Sure, the gun was horribly painful- one of the worst things he'd felt, actually- and could kill him if it hit him the right way, but he could avoid it. He could run. It wasn't anywhere near the most difficult or terrifying thing he had to deal with. But this situation wasn't the usual. He was helpless with no way to defend himself. He couldn't run. That was a rarity for him, and knowing the sorts of things Snart likely had no qualms about doing...

Barry had tried to struggle out of the binds. Looked around for something to cut them. Even tried to vibrate enough to break the rope, and that had only ended in friction burns around his wrists. He was left to sit in the dark and consider everything that might be waiting for him for who knows how long. He knew it had to be at least a couple hours.

 

He was rethinking escape strategies and the likelihood of his team finding him when the door opened again. He blinked in the sudden light, eyes adjusting quickly. It wasn't Snart this time, it was Rory, who wasted no time in hoisting Barry over his shoulder. He hoped the man didn't notice that he was shaking. It wasn't long before he'd been set down none-too-gently in a chair, facing the other two villians who had been waiting. Heatwave sat down somewhere behind him, but he didn't dare to look. Cold's gaze pinned him in place. Without his speed, he was completely at the mercy of the criminals. And that terrified him.

***

"So, _Barry._ You've been holding out on us all night." He didn't waste the chance to flaunt the fact that he had his identity. 

"Get to the point, Cold." He gritted out.

"In good time." Len decided to test the waters. "Seems we have something in common. My father's in prison, your father's in prison..." As soon as he mentioned the subject, Barry stiffened.

"I ca- I don't- It's not your business." It was, as he suspected, a difficult subject. He let it go because he didn't feel like being needlessly cruel. It was too private and by the hurt look that flickered across his face, something that wouldn't be useful in getting him to open up. God knows the kid had probably already dreamed up a bunch of horrible things that he thought they'd do to him. Not that he could blame him- he had tried to kill him last time they met, and had in no way led him to think he was anything but a monster. And he'd purposefully left the Flash in there longer than he had to, letting anticipation grow. He knew he didn't have too much time before Barry's team figured out where they were- fourty-eight hours at most- but they had at least fourteen, so he could allow that extra hour of waiting.

"We have some... questions."

"What makes you think i'll tell you anything?" Ah. There was the stubborness. That he was familiar with. Len raised his gun from where it was resting on his lap, pointing it at the speedster, who didn't look at all surprised.

"If you don't I guess i'll just have to start freezing things. See, I could do this as long as I have to. You'll just heal whatever injury you get." He smiled slightly at Barry's shocked expression. "You didn't think I wouldn't figure out about that? Others have died from less than i've shot you with, so clearly you must have some sort of accelerated healing. Not too hard to figure out, Scarlet."

Green eyes stared back for a moment, unreadable, then looked away. "You're going to kill me anyway."

"Depends on how well you cooperate." 

Barry sighed, not seeming like he really believed it. "What do you want to know?"

Before Len could answer, Lisa did. "Any chance I could get Cisco's number?" Flirtation heavy in her voice. Len scowled at her. Barry gaped, eyes wide and fear dissapating. 

"I- You-" He'd never admit it out loud, but The Flash was surprisingly _adorable_ when he was all flustered and not fighting with him. "Your brother just iced his hands, why would he go out with you?"

"That's a very good question." He looked at his sister. She pouted.

"He was _cute."_

"...As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted. Questions." He thought over the few he had chosen. He didn't want to push his luck, so nothing too invasive. His endgame wasn't information, anyway. "Why the hell would your team make a gun to incapacitate you?"

"It... It was before they knew me."

"Meaning?"

"I was in a coma. They didn't know what would happen when I came out of it. Cisco was just trying to be prepared."

Len made a sound of approval, looking down at said weapon. "Lucky for me." He barely looked up in time to catch Barry shivering at that-no, not shivering, _vibrating._ A quick movement that his eyes barely saw. Well. That speed sure came with interesting side-effects, didn't it? Mick pressed his gun to the speedster's neck. Len let it play out. 

"What are you doing?" Mick's voice came out a growl. "No powers."

And it struck Len that Barry was far too young and inexperienced to be doing what he was, because anyone who had any idea what they were doing would be better at dealing with situations like this. Sure, he had powers, but when he couldn't use them? Helpless. Clearly he knew it too, if the panicked voice and rushed words were anything to go by."I can't help it! I don't have control of it!"

He decided to put the kid out of his misery. "Mick. It's fine." His partner backed off. Barry still seemed shaken up, but ultimately no worse for wear. Perhaps he could just leave it at that and move on to the next part of the plan.

***

"Tell you what, Flash... I'd be willing to make a deal."

"I... what?" Barry didn't believe what he'd just heard.

"You want to get out of this alive, I don't feel like dealing with a body. But we could make this work out in both of our favour."

Hope flared up somewhere inside him. He'd expected them to question him, maybe hurt him a little, then kill him. This... wasn't anything he'd dared to think about. Cold certainly hadn't cared about 'dealing with a body' before. What had changed? Barry didn't know, but it didn't matter if it ended with him out of this. The criminal seemed to realize his amenability to the idea, because he signalled for the other two to leave. 

As soon as they were gone, "I'm not stealing things for you. Don't ask me to do that."

"Wouldn't dream of it. But don't expect _me_ to stop stealing things."

"Of course not," Barry huffed, "You wouldn't. But I can't think i'll give you free reign of Central City."

"I don't think you really have a choice, do you?" His fingers drifted, seemingly nonchalant, over his gun. The other's eyes followed the movement.

"I thought we were making a deal here. Did I misinterpret that to mean you'll force me to agree to everything you say?" He said, voice hard. As much as the fear was still gripping him, he was _not_ going to be a pushover. And it was seeming less and less likely that Snart actually wanted to kill him. 

Said man gave gave him a analyzing look. "What would you suggest, then?"

"You go right on with your criminal activity. I try to stop you. Whether I win or not, I don't hand you over to the police." Not ideal, but everyone would have to give something up here.

"And you won't put any of us in that pipeline of yours, either."

"Okay, that's fair. And you and your 'Rogues' don't kill anyone. You don't have to, we all know how good you are at what you do." Because whether he liked the man or not, no one could deny he was good at stealing things.

"Was that a compliment, Flash? I'm shocked." He was wearing that stupid smirk of his again. "Alright. I'm guessing you don't want me kidnapping your little friends any more, either."

The speedster just glared at him, the answer quite obviously a 'yes.' "Calm down. We have a deal. One more thing," Cold leaned in closer, and Barry repressed a shiver, "Don't even think about going back on this as soon as I let you go. Anything happens to me, your identity gets broadcast to the world. Stick to the deal, it stays our secret."

He sat back again, pulling a knife from somewhere in his parka. Barry flinched, panic resurfacing. He'd agreed, surely the man wasn't going to torture him now? He must have noticed Barry's worries, because he reassured him. "If I wanted to hurt you I would have done it by now. I just figured you didn't want to sit there for another ten minutes while I untied all those knots." The blade slide smoothly between his hands and the rope, freeing him. Cold's hand held them in place, only meant to keep him from moving and getting cut but somehow managing to calm some of his frayed nerves (and how ridiculous was that? He really needed a break if he was this messed up). He breathed a sigh of relief as the last of the restraints fell from his legs. The last two days had been completely exhausting and honestly? He just wanted to crawl into bed and sleep for a very long time. 

***

Len noticed how Barry didn't even tense under his touch after the initial contact, but he brushed it off. Didn't mean anything, the kid was probably just tired. Now that he really thought about it... he did look pretty worn out, he had since they'd first taken him and his friend. He wanted to just tell himself Barry'd had a difficult day- anyone would be upset over this situation- but it seemed like more. Len didn't know why he even bothered thinking on it. This was his enemy, after all. Maybe he was just tired too.

He holstered his gun as they both stood up, knowing there was no chance of being flashed away. Barry stretched a little, too long in the same position, then stared at him, eyes pretty even with the circles under them. Shit. He shouldn't be thinking things like that. "You okay?"

The speedster was a little startled by the question, then like he was about to retort about the fact he'd just been kidnapped, and then seemed to sense the deeper meaning behind the words. God, he didn't hide his expressions _at all._ Someone should really fix that. "I... It's just been a long couple of days." He stopped, not going to give any more. Len nodded in assent as he went to unlock the door. Barry followed close behind, hesitating. Neither was quite sure what to say. 

"You're free to go."

"I- yeah." 

And he was gone.

Lisa came up behind him- he knew it was her, could easily tell after so many years. "I see it went well."

He nodded. "We don't kill anyone, he doesn't take us to jail."

"Pff. That's the _only_ sort of deal you made?"

"What are you implying?" Len glanced at her, knowing very well what she was implying. 

"Hmm. Nothing, Lenny."

"What do you think of 'The Rogues'? You know how Team Flash loves to name all their villains."

Lisa contemplated it for a moment, then gave a nod. "Cute."

**Author's Note:**

> This has been sitting complete for months. I've been debating on whether it's worth posting, but since I put all the work in I might as well. Take this stupid AU.
> 
> Find me at http://cliches-and-coffee.tumblr.com/


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